#1. There’s a building in Canada…that’s also in the United States.

#2. Someone safely landed a plane in the middle of Manhattan. Twice.

In 1956, a drunk pilot named Thomas Fitzpatrick stole an airplane and landed it safely on St. Nicholas Avenue in Manhattan. Two years later, he told the story in a bar. The bar patrons didn’t believe him, so Fitzpatrick responded in the only reasonable way: He went out and did it again.

John Muravcki/The New York Times

#3. Washington D.C.’s cherry blossom trees were a gift from the Japanese.

On February 14, 1912, 3020 cherry trees came from Japan to Washington D.C. They were gifted to the city by the former mayor of Tokyo, Yukio Ozaki. Now, D.C. residents and tourists can see the blossoms on The National Mall every spring.

#5. There’s such a thing as “too handsome for Saudi Arabia.”

Actor, photographer and poet Omar Borkan Al Gala was kicked out of Saudi Arabia for being too handsome. Saudi police decided that Al Gala might be too tempting for local women.

Unknown

#6. Safe sex in Venezuela is ridiculously expensive.

In the last few years, inflation in Venezuela has increased by nearly 60%. That increase, (combined with a general shortage of condoms in the country) has meant that a box of condoms on the free market could cost up to $750.

Shutterstock

#7. Earth is the only planet in our solar system not named after a god.

No one knows who came up with the name “Earth,” but what is known is that it is derived from German – more specifically, the word “erde,” which means “ground.”

#8. Native Americans helped America win World War II

During World War II, the American soldiers created a variety of codes to communicate with one another under the radar of the German military. The Germans managed to crack most of the codes, except for one: The one derived from Navajo languages.

#9. Auroville, India has residents from over 50 different countries.

Auroville, or the City of Dawn, is an experimental community located in southern India that is meant to be a diverse, modern-day utopia. Founded in 1968, the town was intended to have over 50,000 residents, but now there are only about 2,300 people living there – but they are from all over the world.

#10. Fahrenheit isn’t popular in other parts of the world.

#11. Thomas Alva Edison was afraid of the dark.

Good thing he invented the lightbulb.

Getty Images

#12. Pablo Picasso actually has 14 names.

Painter Pablo Picasso wanted to keep his name short and simple, but his real name is a mouthful: Pablo Diego José Francisco de Paula Juan Nepomuceno María de los Remedios Cipriano de la Santísima Trinidad Ruiz y Picasso.

#16. Pinocchio is a literal name.

#17. Genetically altered mosquitoes are a thing of the future – and the future is now.

Each year, approximately 1 million people die from mosquito borne diseases. To avoid this, one biotech company in the UK is working on genetically altered mosquitos. Cool, but we’re not sure why they don’t just figure out a way to eliminate the little buggers completely.